Capsule selector and rectifier mechanism



A. W. KATH CAPSULE SELECTOR AND RECTIFIER MECHANISM Nov. 20, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 19, 1953 INVENTOR. ALFRED W. KATH %4 c Q ATTORNEYS Nov. 20, 1956 A. w. KATH CAPSULE SELECTOR AND RECTIFI Filed Jan. 19, 1953 ER MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm a R IE7 m.

Z Z Z Z EQ z mm 2% m A M V 0 w mW /n? f m 6 W Uh? A v B Nov. 20, 1956 w KATH CAPSULE SELECTOR AND RECTIFIER MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 19', 1953 INVENTOR. ALFRED W. KATH ATTORNEYS Unitfid States Patent CAPSULE SELECTOR AND RECTIFIER MECHANISM Alfred W. Kath, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application January 19, 1953, Serial No. 331,873

8 Claims. (Cl. 20975) latter filled with medicament or other contentand the caps then rejoined with the bodies.

It is essential in mass production filling operations that only regular or fully joined capsules be presented to the decapping mechanism. If a cap or body has become disjoined from its corresponding counterpart, the feeding of disjoined components to the decapping mechanism fouls the smooth, continuous operation of the filling machine. Likewise, where a capsule, for one reason or another, has two oppositely disposed caps in confronting relation upon the opposite ends of a single body (called in the art, a double-capped capsule) the introduction thereof to the decapping mechanism results in misoperation. Moreover, it is also essential that each capsule be fed to the decapping mechanism in an upright position, i. e., with its cap component uppermost. Since these hard or telescoping capsules are usually made of gelatin, methylcellulose, or the like and possess a thin wall having a thickness on the order of .OOS-of an inch, they are to provide a mechanism for presenting capsules in filling,

operations and the like whichsorts and rejects disjoined caps or bodies and double-capped capsules from regular or properly joined capsules so that only the latter are fed to the decapping mechanism.

A further object is to provide a capsule uprighting or rectifying mechanism which effects the capsule uprighting operation in a positive but smooth, free and easy manner without the application of any mechanical force upon the capsule or any part thereof whereby all possibility of distortion or mutilation to the assembled capsule or its cap and body parts is completely obviated.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon becomingfamil-iar with the following description when taken in conjunction With the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like numbers and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved capsule selecting and rectifying mechanism and illustrates its relation to the capsule receiving rings or decapping mechanism of a capsule filling machine, 1

Figure 2 is a detailed, sectional, front elevation showing the capsule escapement means employed for feeding the capsules, one by one, to a conveyor,

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation taken along the line selecting and rectifying mechanism taken substantially centrally thereof,

2,771,19l Patented Nov. 20, 195336 ice Figure 7 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 7-7 of Figure 4,

Figure 8 is a sectional elevation taken substantially along the line of 88 of Figure 4 and showing the capsule rectifying elements in one of their rectifying positrons,

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 but showing the rectifying elements in a different position, and

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figures 8 and 9 but showing the rectifying elements in position to efiect bypassing of an irregular or double-capped capsule.

The invention is herein exemplified, for illustrative pur poses only, in conjunction with certain elements of a decapping mechanism such as is used in a capsule filling machine of the type disclosed in U. S. Patent No.

1,545,777 issued to A. W. Kath et al. on July 14, 1925. It will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited in its use to machines of the specific character described in said patent but is equally adaptable for use in conjunction with other types of capsule filling or handling machines.

Referring to Figure 1, the machine comprises a hopper 15 for receiving a promiscuous supply ofcapsules 16 of the cap and body type. As hereinafter will more clearly appear, the capsules are fed from hopper 15 through a tube 17 to a conveyor indicated generally at 18. Conveyor 18 transports the capsules to certain sensing and uprighting mechanisms later to be described, from which the uprighted capsules are transported by vertically disposed tubes, such as 20, to cap and body receiving rings 21 and 22, respectively. Rings 21 and 22 correspond to rings 52 and 53 of the aforementioned patent and, together with other mechanisms therein described, effect a separation of the capsule caps from the capsule bodies preparatory to the performance of filling operations all as described in said patent.

The present invention is concerned primarily with effecting the selection of the only fully joined capsules such as are clearly shown at 16 in Figures 5, 8 and 9 and rejecting separated capsule cap components 24 or capsule body components 25 before said separated components are advanced to the capsule rectifying mechanism. Oc-

casionally a capsule, in one manner or another, has two caps 24 placed in oppositely disposed confronting relation upon the opposite ends of a single body. Such a doublecapped capsule is shown at 26 in Figures 5 and 10. The

- present invention provides means for by-passing such double-capped capsules past the rectifying mechanism so that they do not enter the tubes 20 and are not fed to the decapping rings 21 and 22.

Referring again to Figure 1, hopper 15 is mounted for vertical reciprocating movement upon the upper end of tube 17 which is secured as at 27 to the machine frame. Reciprocatory movement is imparted to the hopper through a segmental gear 28 meshing with teeth 29 of a rack 30 fixed at its upper end as at 31 to hopper 15 and guided at its lower end in asleeve 32 fixed to the machine frame. Crank and arm connections 33 having a connection with a shaft 34 upon which segmental gear 28 is aifixed are arranged to impart oscillatory movement to gear 28 by means of any suitable power source (not shown).

As hopper 15 reciprocates on tube 17, capsules 16 are fed within the tube wherein they descend by gravity as shown in Figure 2, toward conveyor 18. It will be realized that certain capsules 16 enter tube 17 with their caps downward whereas others enter the tube with their caps uppermost. The lower end 35 of tube 17 is gradually curved as shown in Figure 2 and is arranged to horizontally overlie the upper surface of the upper stretch of conveyor 18. Lower end 35 is provided with a closure 36 at its outer extremity and, at its lower surface adjacent closure 36, is provided with an elongated aperture 37 adapted to permit the capsules 16 to be fed by descent, one by one, in horizontally disposed position into individual, capsule-receiving compartments 38 (Fig ure provided in conveyor 18.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, conveyor 18 is comprised of two endless chains 39 and 40 each passing around paired sprockets 41 and 42 affixed to shafts 43 and 44, respectively. Shafts 43 and 44 are suitably journalled at their opposite ends in side plates 45. Shaft 43 is arranged'to be driven in rotation by the machine drive means (not shown). Each of the links of chains 39 and 40 have spaced rods 46 extending transversely therebetween by means of and between which are formed 'the compartments 38. j

A plate 47 extends longitudinally between sprockets 41 and 42 beneath the upper stretch of conveyor 18 and is supported between side plates 45 to form a base for compartments 38 and support the capsules as they are fed thereinto. Similarly, a bed plate 48 is provided beneath the lower stretch of conveyor 18 to support the capsules as they are advanced by the conveyor over an enlarged hub 49 of sprocket 42. A curved plate 50 extending transversely across and around the outer 180 of sprocket 42 contains capsules 16 within compartments 38 as the capsules advance around sprocket 42 from the upper stretch of conveyor 18 to the lower stretch thereof. An aperture 51 provided in bed plate 50 is of such width as to permit the passage therethrough of separated cap components 24 or separated body components 25 but is of insufiicient width to permit the passage thereth-rough of fully joined capsules 16 or double-capped capsules such as 26. A tube-52 of suitable size is suitably mounted directly beneath aperture 51 to convey such rejected components into a suitable receptacle (not shown).

As will be clearly seen in Figure 5, the capsules as fed from tube 17 into compartments 38 lie with the caps of some of them disposed toward one side of conveyor 18 and, with the caps of others disposed towards the opposite side of the conveyor. Means is provided in the present machine to sense the lateral disposition of the capsfor the purpose of controlling the uprighting mechanism in accordance with such lateral disposition. This sensing means comprises a pair of transversely spaced feelers in theform of levers 53 (Figures 4, 6 and 7) mounted adjacent their-left ends as viewed in these fig-" ures, for rocking movement upon a horizontally disposed shaft 54 extending between side plates 45. The forward ends of feeler levers 53 have upstanding projections 55 extending through slots 55a (Figure 6) in bed plate 48. The-upper surfaces'of projections 55 lie just slightly above the plane of the upper surface of bed plate 48, the'extent of projection being on the order of .008 of an inch. A backing plate 56 is mounted in spaced relation above projections 55 a distance above the upper surface of bed-plate 48 which is just sufiicient to accommodate the rolling or sliding movement of a capsule 16 therebetween. Capsules 16 are maintained in approximate transverse alignment medially to feelers 53 by longitudinally extending strips 57 lying immediately above and suit-ably secured to bed plate 48 adjacent the opposite sides thereof. 'Asstrips 57 approach projections 55 they converge angularly inwardly as at 58 to direct capsules 16 into proper lateral alignment with respect to the medial longitudinal center of bed plate 48 for sensing by projections 55. Each lever 53 has associated therewith a latch member 59 mounted directly beneath its corresponding lever. Each member 59 is pivoted adjacent its right end for rocking movement about a horizontally disposed shaft 60 extending between side plates 45.

The rear end of each latch member 59 is connccted by I a headed stud 61 (Figures 4 and 7) to the rear'endof'its.

of its ends to the right hand end of member 59 and at its opposite end to the machine frame. Springs 65 constantly urge members 59 into their contact engagement with flats 64 as just described. The right hand end of each' feeler 5.3 is of suflicient weight to maintain each feeler in the position shown in Figure 4, i. e., with its upwardly projecting forward end 55 protruding slightly above the plane of the upper surface of bed plate 48 as previously described. The sensing and latch mechanisms just. described are arranged to cooperate with a capsule rectifying or uprighting mechanism now to be described.

The capsule uprighting mechanism comprises a pair of spaced fulcrum blades 66 and 67 (Figures 4 and 8). The fulcrum blades are mounted on themachine frame immediately adjacent the forward ends of feelers 53. Blades 66'and 67 have their upper ends lying substantially flush with the upper surface of bed plate 48 and are each pivoted at their lower ends upon studs '68. The uppei'end of each blade 66 and 67 is rounded asat 69 (Figure 8). A spring 70, superior in strength to springs 'and'enc'ircling each stud 68 (Figure 4) is suitably anchoredat one of its ends to its pivot stud 68 and has an'u'pstaiiding l'eg which bears against a pin 71 projecting from the forward edge of its corresponding blade 66 or 67. Springs normally urge blades 66 and 67 outwardly to the position shown by the blade 67 in Figure 8 'so thatrollers 72 and 73 rotatably mounted upon studs 74 and 75 projecting rearwardly from the rear edge of each blade" 66 and 67 engage cam surfaces of cams 76 and 77, respectively. Cams 76 and 77 are fixed in spaced relation upon a horizontally disposed shaft 78 journalled at its opposite ends for rotation in side plates 45. The inner end'of shaft 78 (Figure 1) has affixed thereon a pinion 79 meshing with a driving gear 80. Gear 80 is arranged to'b e driven "in rotation by machine drive mechanism (not shown). 'In this manner, shaft 78 and cams 76 and 77 are arrahged to be driven continuously in rotation. As the cams rotate, their respective cam surfaces, by engagement with rollers 72 and 73, cam fulcrum blades 66 and 67 alternately from their ineifective or outermost positions as illustrated by blade 67 in Figure 8 and blade 66"inFigure 9, to their effective or innermost positions as illustrated by blade 66 in Figure 8 and blade 67 in Figure-9. The cyclical, alternate swinging of the blades from'their outermost positions to their innermost posi- 1 now be described.

' As the capsules are advanced over bed plate 48-they are broughtunder'backing plate 56 and into engagementwith the upwardly projecting ends 55 of feelers 53. When a cap is sensed by the projecting end 55 of eitherof the feelers 53, that particular feeler is rocked in a counterclockwise direction about shaft 54 as viewed in Figure 4,

against the slight force exerted by the weight of theright hand end of such feeler. Simultaneously through stud connection 61, the corresponding latch member 59 A is'likewise rocked counter-clockwise about shaft 60 against the light tension applied by spring'65. At this time, both of the fulcrum blades 66 and 67 will be rocked todheirinnermost or fulcruming positions, wherein their projections 81 lie in a position to be engaged by the forward end of that latch member 59 which has been lowered by its associated feeler 53. In this manner that fulcrum blade 66 or 67 which corresponds to the lateral disposition of the cap of a particular capsule 16 being sensed, is latched in its innermost or effective position. As cams 76 and 77 continue in their rotation that fulcrum blade 66 and 67 whose associated feeler and latch mechanism 5359 has not sensed a capsule cap is permitted to move outwardly, out of its effective fulcruming position. Consequently as that capsule 16 which has just been sensed, advances into position over the rounded end 69 of the fulcrum blade which has been latched in its effective or fulcrum position, the capsule, solely under the force .of gravity, rocks about the upper end of the blade and descends with its cap uppermost, downwardly into tube 20 for passage into the decapping rings 2122.

In Figure 8, the fulcrum blade 66 is shown as being latched in effective position to upright a capsule, the cap of which was disposed toward the left side of the conveyor. In Figure 9, the fulcrum blade 67 is shown as being latched in effective or fulcruming position to upright a capsule, the cap of which was disposed toward the right side of the conveyor. The particular blade latched, retains its associated member 59 in latching engagement with lug 81 under the tension of spring 70 which, it will be remembered is superior to spring 65.

Referring now to Figure 10, when a double-capped capsule such as 26 (Figure is sensed by feelers 53, both fulcrum blades 66 and 67 are latched in their innermost positions as shown in this figure. In this manner a double-capped capsule is caused to by-pass the up-righting mechanism and, as conveyor 18 advances the capsule from over the blades, such capsule passes over an opening 82 provided in an auxiliary bed plate 83, similar to bed plate 48, into a tube 84 which transports said doublecapped capsule to a suitable receptacle (not shown).

Although the invention has been described with reference to certain particular embodiments it is to be understood that it is not limited thereby. Therefore, changes, omissions, substitutions and/or additions may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, a conveyor having compartments for receiving capsules in horizontally disposed, oriented, condition therewithin with their caps lying indiscriminately to one side or the other; feeler means along said conveyor operable to sense the lateral disposition of the caps of said capsules as said conveyor advances said capsules into association with said feeler means; fulcrum blades disposed in a plane just below the path of travel of said capsules and operable cyclically into and out of effective fulcruming positions as said capsules are advanced by said conveyor from said feeler means into a position where they are momentarily supported by said fulcrum blades; and latch means associated with said feeler means and operable thereby to latch and retain that one of said fulcrum blades which corresponds in position to the lateral disposition of the cap of the particular capsule just sensed by said sensing means in its effective fulcruming position whereby the capsules are uprighted solely under the influence of gravity as they progressively, one after another, come into association with said fulcrum blades.

2. In a machine of the class described, a conveyor having compartments for receiving capsules in horizontally disposed, oriented, condition therewithin with their caps lying at random to one side or the other; feeler means operable to sense the lateral disposition of the caps of said capsules as said conveyor advances said capsules into sensing association with said feeler means; a pair of fulcrum blades disposed adjacent said feeler means and just below said capsules, said blades being operable cyclically intoand out of positions where they associated with said feeler means and operable thereby. to selectively latch and retain that one of said fulcrum blades which corresponds laterally in position to the lateral disposition of the cap of the particular capsule just sensed by said sensing means whereby each capsule as it traverses the locus of said blades is uprighted solely under the influence of gravity.

3. In a machine of the class described, means for feeding capsules to a conveyor; said conveyor being arranged to individually receive and transport the capsules, one after another, in horizontally disposed position to and past a sensing and uprighting means located, respectively, along said conveyor; said sensing means comprising cap and body feelers adapted to sense the lateral disposition of the caps of said capsules as they traverse said means, said rectifying means comprising fulcrum blades disposedimmediately beneath the path of travel of said capsules and movable into and out of fulcruming positions in timed relation with respect to the travel of said capsules thereover, and latch means associated with said cap and body feelers for latching that fulcrum blade corresponding to the lateral disposition of the cap of a particular capsule into fulcruming position and retaining said blade so latched until said particular capsule is fulcrumed thereby into upright position.

4. In a machine of the class described, means for feeding capsules, one by one, to a conveyor; said conveyor having means for individually orienting the said capsules one from another and transporting said capsules in horizontally disposed condition, a bed plate associated with said conveyor; said plate having an opening therein of such size as permits the passage therethrough of only separated capsule cap or body components; sensing means located along said conveyor at a position subsequent to the location of said bed plate opening and operable to feel and sense the lateral disposition of the caps of said capsules as they are advanced into association with said sensing means; fulcrum means located along said conveyor adjacent said sensing means in the plane of the upper surface of said bed plate; said fulcrum means being cyclically operable into and out of effective fulcrum position in timed relation with the advance of said capsules by said conveyor; and latch means associated with said sensing means operable to latch the appropriate fulcrum means in effective position responsive to the sensing of a capsule cap or caps by said sensing means whereby single-capped capsules are uprighted upon traversing said fulcrum means and double-capped capsules are caused to by-pass said fulcrum means and be thereby rejected.

5. In a machine of the class described, means for continuously feeding capsules to a conveyor, said conveyor having means for individually orienting the capsules one from another and transporting said capsules in horizontally disposed condition, a bed plate associated with said conveyor, said bed plate having an opening therein of such size as will permit the passage therethrough of only separated cap or body components of a capsule and thus cause their rejection, means for sensing the lateral disposition of the caps and bodies of joined capsules as they come into association with said sensing means, a pair of cap and body fulcrum blades each being movable into and out of fulcruming position in timed relation to the advance of said capsules through said sensing means, and latch means associated with and operable by said sensing means effective to latch and maintain a selected one of said fulcrum blades corresponding to the lateral disposition of the cap of the particular capsule being sensed by said sensing means whereby each capsule is uprighted solely by the force of gravity.

6. In a machine of the class described, means for continuously feeding capsules to a conveyor, said conveyor having means for individually orienting the capsules one from another and transporting said capsules in horizontally disposed condition, a bed plate associated with said conveyor, said bed plate having an opening therein of such size as will permit the passage therethrough of only separated cap or body components of a capsule and thus-cause their rejection, means for sensing the lateral disposition of the caps and bodies of joined capsules as they come into association with said sensing means, a pair of cap and body fulcrum blades each being movable into and out of fulcruming position in timed relation to the advance of said capsules through said sensing means, latch means associated with and operable by said sensing means efiective to latch and maintain a selected one of said fulcrum blades corresponding to the lateral disposition of the cap of the particular capsule being sensed by said sensing means whereby each capsule is uprighted solely by the force of gravity, and guide means associated with said fulcrum blades for receiving and transporting said uprighted capsules to a capsule filling machine or the like.

7. A rectifying mechanism for cap and body type capsules, said mechanism comprising a conveyor adapted to compartmentally receive and continuously advance said capsule along a predetermined path; a pair of spaced feelers positioned along said path; each of said feelers being adapted to independently sense the lateral disposition of the cap components of said capsules as the latter are advanced by said conveyor into association with said feelers; a pair of correspondingly spaced, movable, fulcrum blades adjacent said feelers, each of said blades being positionable to engage the caps of said capsules at-an oif=balancepoint longitudinally of said capsules to effect gravity-induced uprighting and" guided descent thereof from saidpath, and means associated'with'each of said sensing feelers and said blades responsive to the sensing of a capsule cap by said feelers for selectively retaining said blades in capsule engaging position.

'8. In a machine of the class described, a conveyor adapted to compartmentally receive individual capsules of the cap and body type and successively advance said capsules along a predetermined path, a pair of capsuleuprighting members disposed along said path, each'of said members being capable of independent movement into a fulcruming position beneath said capsules, means for moving said members, a cap sensing means associated with each of said members and disposed along said path in advance of said members, said sensing means being operable by engagement with the capsule caps to preselectively retain in fulcruming position that uprighting member corresponding to the lateral disposition of the cap of the particular capsule being sensed until the latter is advanced into engagement therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 626,539 Hathorn June 6, 1899 663,681 Nichols Dec. 11, 1900 2,053,137 Donovan Sept. 1, 1936 30 2,219,155 Wilcox Oct. 22, 1940 2,569,564 Gulliet Oct. 2, 1951 

